Artificial Insemination

Artificial Insemination Can Help You Become a Parent

At the Fertility Institute, we provide artificial insemination (AI), often in conjunction with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH), to increase hopeful parent's chances of becoming pregnant. We exclusively perform intrauterine insemination (IUI) because this process of injecting concentrated sperm directly into the uterus has a higher success rate than other methods of AI. To learn more about artificial insemination, contact The Fertility Institute today.

Artificial Insemination (AI) Candidacy

Artificial insemination (AI) can help patients overcome a variety of fertility complications. It is often recommended for couples with male infertility due to low sperm count or low sperm motility. It is also a common option for overcoming female infertility due to endometriosis or unreceptive cervical mucus, which prevents sperm from traveling through the female reproductive tract.

COH and AI are often recommended as first treatment options because they are less invasive than other options like in vitro fertilization (IVF). Our fertility specialists may recommend up to three rounds of COH and AI before considering IVF. Unlike artificial insemination, IVF involves fertilizing the egg outside the mother's body. Once the egg becomes fertilized in our laboratory, it is transferred back to the uterus. We will conduct a thorough analysis to determine which treatment will most likely help you achieve your goal of conceiving.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

Before the actual process of insemination begins, a female patient will begin her COH treatments to stimulate her ovarian follicles and prompt the release of eggs. During this time, we will collect a semen sample from a male partner or donor. It is carefully washed, meaning the sperm cells are separated from seminal plasma to achieve a highly concentrated sample. Sperm that is not used during the subsequent round of artificial insemination can be cryogenically frozen for future use in artificial insemination or other fertility treatments.

During IUI, our doctor will insert a speculum within the female patient's vagina, which opens the pathway to the cervix. Next, the doctor will insert a sterile, flexible catheter into the vagina. The catheter is carefully moved past to cervix to reach the uterus. Once the catheter is in place, the doctor will carefully inject the concentrated sperm. There, the sperm can more easily access newly released eggs in the hopes of fertilization.

Usually, each artificial insemination procedure usually takes 15 minutes, and patients can resume normal activities after it is complete. Your doctor will determine when you should take a pregnancy test to determine if the treatment was successful. Success rates can be as high as 20 percent per cycle, depending on factors such as the fertility drugs used, and the female partner's age.

If artificial insemination with controlled ovarian hyperstimulation fails after several rounds, we may recommend undergoing IVF.

Should you need donor insemination, here are some suggested websites to help with your research cryobanks. Be sure to ask questions and evaluate them to make sure you find the right fit for your needs:

Contact Us Today

We are passionate about helping hopeful parents find the solutions they need to realize their dreams of starting or growing their families. To learn more about how artificial insemination can help you become a parent, contact the Fertility Institute today and schedule an appointment.